Link fabric.



W. L. MULKEN.

LINK FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED NOV-12. I917 WITNESSES INVENTOR'.

Wz'iber L'NzzZ/cen' TVTORNEX Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

' wrLBEia n. MULKEN, or sun. LOUIS, virssounr, AESIGNOR 'ro SMITH a navrs MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF ST.;LQUIS, MISSOURI, A. CORPORATION 01'! MISSOURI.

LINK FABRIC.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBER L. MULKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Link Fabrics, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part hereof.

The present invention is directed to wire link fabrics, and particularly to that form of fabric so extensively used in the construction of bed-bottoms. Among the objects sought are (1) to provide a fabric entailing the consumption of a minimum quantity of wire; (2) to provide a fabric which will not sag or stretch under normal conditions of service; (3) one in which the elements composing the same will not suffer displacement; l) one which will conform to the movements of the body when serving as a bed-bottom; (5) one which is noiseless; (6) one which is light; and (7) one possessing further and other advantages fully apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 represents a top plan of a portion of the improved fabric serving the purpose of a bed-bottom; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a top plan of one of the longitudinal links or units detached, showing a portion of an adjacent longitudinal unit and a portion of one of the transverse links coupled thereto; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional detail on the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional detail on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents one of the end rails of a bedbottom frame, said rail in the present instance being in the form of an angle bar, and well understood in the art. Carried by the end rails are helical springs 2 to whichthe opposite ends of the fabric are secured. The improved fabric comprises a series of parallel rows of longitudinal links or units coupled together in hinged relation, the longitudinal rows being united by a series of rows of transverse links jointed thereto, provision being made to prevent the transverse links from Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Apr. so, ieis.

Application filed November 12, 1917. Serial No. 201,508.

slipping or shifting their position when once coupled to the longitudinal links. The terms longitudinal and transverse are merely relative, and in the present instance are employed to designate respectively the links running lengthwise and crosswise of the bed to which the bed-bottom fabric is applied.

In the present embodiment of my invention the longitudinal link is composed of a single piece of wire bent so as to form two substantially parallel arms or limbs 3, 3, spaced slightly apart, said arms terminating at their free ends in downwardly turned hooks or loops 4-, 4, the opposite end of the link being formed into three different open loops or bends 5, 5, 6, respectively, which collectively impart to that end the shape of a T, the cross arms of which are formed by the bends 5, 5. These several loops or bends it will be observed are disposed in the general plane of the arms 8, 8, and of the supporting surface of the fabric, said plane being transverse to the plane of disposition of the hooks 4:, 4. The cross or transverse loops 5, 5, are at right angles or perpendicular to the terminal basal loop or bend 6 (Figs. 1 and' l). The hooks l, 4:, of one link are coupled to the bend or loop 6 of the next succeeding link, and so on through the series, as clearly shown in the drawings. The depth of this bend need be only slightly in excess of the thickness of the wire of which the link is constructed to freely accommodate the hooks 4:, l, a deeper bend being neither necessary nor desirable. by reason of the fact that a shallow bend imparts stiffness to the link, saves wire, and eliminates the danger of a sag in the finished fabric as a result of the strain imposed thereon in actual service. The loops 5, 5 are engaged by the terminal downwardly turned hooks 7 of the transverse or cross links 8, the depth of the recess formed by the bend 5 preferably not exceeding two thicknesses of the wire from which cross-link is made. In other words, the depths of the recesses formed by the bends or loops 5, 5, are substantially twice that of the recess formed by the bend 6, though obviously I do not wish to be restricted to these specific proportions. The object of course is to have the bends as shallow as possible in order to impart a maximum stifiness to the link and eliminate sag. The base or cross member of the bend 6 of one link should be of sufficient length to allow the not readily arms 3, 3, of the succeeding link to remain parallel and spaced apart (usually a full sixteenth of an inch), the widths of the lateral bonds 5, 5, being su'fficient to afiord ample freedom for vertical play to the transverse links 8, and in a measure a slight lateral play to prevent binding of said links when yielding in vertical planes. The terminal links 8 of the transverse series are coupled to the side bars 9, the ends of which are secured to the springs 2, as well understood in the art.

'It will be seen from the foregoing that in the construction of the fabric as shown there is neither twisting nor crossing of wires, so that the supporting surface of the fabric is perfectly smooth. The absence of twisting and wire crossing results in the saving of wire, the-compactness of the bends 5, 5, '6, producing a still link, yet sufficiently resilient to provide a comfortable support, the fabric readily conforming and responding to the movements of the body of the ecu-pant of the bed. There is no material sag to the fabric, the shallow bends 5, 5, 6, stretching under normal service conditlons.

As shown, the longitudinal links of the several rows all point in the same direction, that the springs 2 at one end of the bed are coupled to the loops 6, Whereas the springs at the opposite end (not shown) are necessarily coupled to the terminal hooks 4s, 4. It would however be within the scope of my invention to have alternate rows of longitudinal links point in opposite directions in which event the ends of the fabric would terminate in a row of bends alternating with hooks. Obviouslysuch a construction would be inferior to that here illustrated and perhaps not specially desirable in practice.

7With the exception of the hooks 4L, 4, of thelongitudinal links and the hooks 7 of the transverse links, the balance-of the links and the loops thereof are disposed in the plane of the supporting surface of the fabsurface smooth and without any projections to tear or injure the :bedding deposited on the fabric. I may of course resort to minor changes without necessarily departing from the spirit or nature of the invention. For example, the arms 3, 3, need not be spaced .any fixed distance apart nor be absolutely parallel; they might be in contact or they might be farther apart than herein shown. The bends 5, 5, 6, might take on other forms, and in other ways changes might be resorted to and yet leave a structure falling within the invention. The recesses formed by the bends 5, 5, or their equivalents, should however be suflir-ic, leaving the ciently deep to maintain the cross links 8 in position and prevent the same from sliding or slipping down the arms 3, 3. In the present embodiment of my invention the inner leg or member of the bend 5 or that leading immediately from the arm 3 is longer than the opposite or outer leg leading immedi ately from the bend (5. The diameter of the loop or hook '7 is considerably less than the length of the longer leg of the bend 5 aforesaid so that the loop 7 can never pass oil the said leg. In other words the loop 7 can never pass over the corner or point a2 (Fig. i from which the inner longer leg of the bend 5 springs. The links 8 are therefore prevented from slipping down the arms 3, S. The maximum depth of the recess formed by the bend f can not of course exceed the length of the shorter outer leg of the bend, the inner longer leg however exceeding in length the depth of said recess.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a fabric of the -cl1al21eter described, a link composed of a single piece of wire bent to form two parallel arms spaced apart and terminating at their free ends in downwardly turned hooks, the opposite end of the link terminating in a bend forming a recess of sufficient width to permit of the coupling to the bend of the hooks of the arms of a succeeding link and of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the wireof said hooks, and having lateral bonds exterior to the arms disposed at right angles to the terminal bend, said lateral bends being of a depth substantially equal to two thicknesses of wire and of sufiicient width to receive a single thickness.

2. In a fabric of the character described, a link composed of a single piece of wire bent to form two substantially parallel arms terminating at their free ends in downwardly turned books, the oppositcend of the :link being formed into two transverse bends or loops and a single iifilll'lillttl longitudinal bend or loop, the opposite legs of the :transverse bends sgringing respectively from the arms and from the terminal bend, the legs of the transverse bends springing from the arms being the longer, the several bends opening inwardly and being disposed in the plane of the arms and transverse to the planes of disposition of the terminal hooks aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I ailix in presence of two witnesses.

i VILBER L. MULKEN.

my signature,

lVitnesses EMIL STAREK, ELsn M. Srnenn.

Series of this patent maytepbtained for :five :cents each, by addressing the summlsslmler of Patents I w'gsliingtcnflfing 

